“Do you have… dreams?”Those were the first words Panne had heard from the man-spawn since he tried and failed to return her lost bag of weeds. She remembered clearly. She was resting in the barracks after an excursion to Arena Ferox to aid Khan Flavia in clearing out some particularly nasty Risen. Slouching in the corner had been the potato peeler, his face aglow for some mysterious reason. Without looking up from his knife and half-peeled potato, he had asked.And Panne had answered, albeit somewhat confused. For him to speak to anyone was uncommon, and speaking by choice to a woman, rarer.“Last night I dreamt I raided a carrot patch… Is that not the sort of dream you mean?”He had not responded, but instead continued peeling his potato with short, deft strokes. Panne had often seen him with a potato in hand, peeling it almost obsessively. Ugh… she loathed potatoes. But she paid him and his odd potato obsession no mind. Humans were strange.She wondered why this was returning to her head now, a week later. She hadn’t seen the potato peeler since. He was an odd creature; she had never before heard of a man who feared women… Yet he was unperturbed on the battlefield, be his foes and allies man or woman. In fact, Robin seemed to pair him up with women as often as possible, perhaps in an effort to overcome his phobia…Panne rose to her feet. Gods, I could really go for a carrot right about now… she muttered silently to herself, heading out of her tent. She passed by Sumia, who babbled a greeting and almost tripped over her own feet (as usual). Panne acknowledged the pegasus knight with a curt nod.When she was a fair distance away from the camp, she clasped her beaststone and fell down onto all fours, transitioning fluidly from her upright form to that of a transformed taguel. She sprang into the woods and wove through the trees, scanning for her favorite spots to dig for herbs and roots. Here, she was free. No battles to fight, no humans to deal with… The only thing she might have asked for was a few more taguel to share her company. If only there hadn’t been those humans… Filthy, horrid--No, she chided. That was not her grudge to hold. As the Exalt Emmeryn had proven, not all humans were the same.She came to a halt when her keen ears detected a disturbance in the undergrowth, somewhere off to her left. Footsteps… Human footsteps. Loud, heavy, graceless… Panne padded over, setting each foot on the ground with meticulous care, all the while listening intently. Over the quiet forest ambience, she made out the masculine footsteps of a man… and a sword-wielder, by the thumping of his scabbard.The man came into view after Panne crossed through a thicket of underbrush. She blinked in surprise upon discovering who it was. Of all people, he was probably the one she’d expected least… or second-least, right after the war monk.Panne sat back on her haunches. “I didn’t expect to see you here, man-spawn,” she said.The man jumped in fright, hand leaping to the hilt of his sword as he pivoted on his heel and faced Panne in a battle stance. When he saw her face, he relaxed slightly.“What are you doing here?” he demanded.“I could ask you the same,” Panne responded coolly.He scowled, face tinged red. “I am… refining my sword skills! Now leave me be!”“Oh, really.” Panne arched an eyebrow at the large beetle that was crawling over his fingers.His scowl only deepened. “...Mind your own business!” he grumbled, returning his attention to the beetle.“Very well. Although I must say, you don’t seem the type to play with bugs in your free time.”He only grunted, stalking away with the beetle still in his hand.Panne snorted in half-amusement. She padded away in search of the carrots she had set out to find.“So... Panne, you’ll be paired up with Lon’qu.” Robin, the Shepherd’s tactician, pointed at the two respectively. “You’re both really fast, so I want you positioned over there behind those woods, and you’re gonna rush those three archers before they get a chance to shoot anyone. Clear the field for our pegasus knights. Sully and Stahl will come in to back you up.”Robin continued issuing instructions, but they were no longer relevant to Panne. She glanced over to where the potato peeler was standing. He was staring at the taguel in absolute horror, face beet red. It was plain what he was thinking. I have to be paired up with HER?Panne sighed as she walked over to where the pathetic man-spawn was practically quaking in his boots. Hopefully his fear wouldn’t keep him from performing on the battlefield. She had never seen it happen, and hoped she never would. She despised unnecessary deaths...“Well, then. I guess I’m fighting with you,” Panne said, addressing the potato peeler.He eyed her cautiously. “Nngh, fine. But I demand ample space! ...AMPLE!” he muttered, sweating furiously. It was a fairly brisk day, too.“If you desire it,” Panne responded, moving into position where Robin had pointed out. “I will keep you safe. ...I have lucky rabbit feet, after all.He only grunted again, trudging after her with the ever-present hand hovering over his sword hilt. Grunting seemed to be one of his main forms of communication. He definitely wasn’t the type to wax eloquent about something, not even potatoes.Panne hunched down behind a bush, clutching her beaststone and waiting for Robin to give them the signal to move forward.When it did come, she transformed and lunged forth, rapidly closing the distance between her and the three archers, descending upon the unfortunate troops in one fell swoop. At this close a range, bows were next to worthless. The archers were helpless, and Panne and the potato peeler were able to dispatch two of them quickly. Sully and Stahl clopped in atop their mounts, with Sully bringing down the third archer.“Damn nuisance,” she said at the corpse.With the threat of arrows gone, Sumia and Cordelia were free to fly forward upon their pegasi. They stormed on a few mercenaries, easily trumping swords with their long-reaching lances.Panne suddenly detected rustling behind her. She twisted just in time to see an axe fighter leaping out from behind some foliage that had up until now concealed him. The fighter’s axe was headed straight for the potato peeler’s unarmored back.“Allow me!” she yelled, pushing her partner out of the way and engaging the fighter. Axe was no match for claws, and she made quick work of him.The potato peeler stared at the fallen fighter and his axe. “Huh… not half bad.”Panne nodded. “You are safe.”“Whew, that was close!” Stahl said. “But hey, look. Chrom’s all the way over there. Look’s like he’s calling us over. I’m gonna go.” He tugged the reins on his horse and trotted over. Sully trailed behind him.“Well?” the potato peeler said.Panne nodded again, and they headed after the two cavaliers.“...Hello?”“Who is it?” Panne asked, looking up from her carrots and coffee. “Oh, it’s you.”The potato peeler shifted uncomfortably. “...I never thanked you the other day. For saving me.”“Why? You do not need to thank me, man-spawn. It was only right.”“...I am merely expressing gratitude.”Panne sipped her coffee.“...You fight well, Panne. We should, uh, take on more foes together. If you wish to.” Immediately after he had said the words, the potato peeler’s cheeks flushed bright red. He seemed even more flustered than usual, if that was possible.Panne realized with a jolt that that was the first time he had ever referred to her by name. Though that didn’t change anything… or did it?“Very well. My strength is yours, Lon’qu.”